Chocolate Caramel Turtle Dessert Trifle
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Chocolate Caramel Turtle Dessert Trifle is an easy recipe for a simple but seriously decadent layered trifle! With perfectly chewy brownies made from scratch, plus whipped cream, hot fudge, pecans and ooey-gooey caramel, this turtle dessert is outrageously scrumptious!!!
Sometimes all you need is a spoon. Chocolate covered brownie, caramel and nuts… Oh, my. This turtle trifle is the perfect dessert for any occasion! An easy recipe that comes together in a snap, this is one for the permanent file.
I am honored to be the official dessert-bringer to all family gatherings. This past Christmas, I let time get away from me, so I needed something super fabulous and I needed it super fast.
Having a pan of Fudgy Brownies left from the homemade gifts we give out each year, I decided to create a fabulous trifle inspired by one of Chad’s favorite candies.
Turtle Dessert Trifle
Are you a lover of all things chocolate, caramel and pecans? That’s what a turtle candy is, and we take a step further, by adding a layer of the best fudgy brownies from scratch. This turtle brownie trifle is a hit!
Helpful Tips:
- If you plan to travel with this chocolate caramel dessert, you can save time by making everything ahead. Although, to prevent a mess, I recommend waiting to assemble the brownie trifles until you get to your destination.
If you need to assemble the dessert beforehand, carry them in a cooler with ice packs around them so they don’t break. - You can use any brownies that you like. Store bought brownies are great in a pinch.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Chocolate Caramel Turtle Dessert Trifle
Equipment
- 1 8-inch trifle bowl or 8 individual trifle cups or parfait glasses
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 12 cups prepared brownies, chopped into bite sized pieces *See Notes
- 12 ounces hot fudge sauce
- 12 ounces caramel sauce, 1/2 recipe TSRI Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Whip heavy cream in a medium bowl using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to whisk until whipped cream is firm, or to your desired consistency. Set aside.
- Add 1/4 cup brownie bites to each trifle dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon (or more if the mood strikes you) hot fudge sauce over brownie.
- Dollop 2 tablespoons vanilla whipped cream over top. Add 2 tablespoons brownies and drizzle 1 tablespoon (or more) caramel sauce over brownie layer. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
- Serve and enjoy!
Donna’s Notes
- For this trifle, we used a full batch of our Fudgy Brownies recipe, which is baked in a 12x18x2-inch cake pan. You can use any type of store bought or homemade brownies that you enjoy.
- I made 8 individual trifles. If you’re making one large trifle, layer it the same way as written, but use enough of each ingredient to cover the surface of the bowl.
- For individual trifles, wine glasses, trifle cups, and parfait glasses all work well. For one large trifle, use an 8-inch trifle bowl.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published May 2013. Updated and republished December 2019.
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oh, holy heck. I just gasped. GORGEOUS shot and I am loving all the flavors. Of course, I am just a little bit partial to turtle flavor combinations! Awesome trifle that needs to be made again ASAP, preferably when I am visiting you next!
This looks incredible!!
Fantastic desserts!
If I make it the night before, do I refrigerate it? Does it need to be heated up before eating?
I have made this up to 2 days in advance. You do not heat it up, just serve it cool or allow to sit out for 10 minutes before eating to just take the chill off. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
I just made it & it came out SO fabulously! I tripled the recipe & did it in one big dish instead of in individual dishes. Thank you so much for posting this. I am ridiculously excited about it.
Thanks for this post. I was just going to ask about making it in large trifle bowl and you answered my question.
Yum!! looks so amazing and so easy!
Can you substitute cream with cool whip?
I hope so!!!
Going to make this, but is it just Brownies
Is it ice cream as detailed in directions or whipping cream as mentioned in the ingredient list?
Is the a gluten free option for this recipe?
How large is the container you are using? Preparing for a large group and want to make sure I get the amount correct. Thank you
Hi Krista!
If you want to make individual trifles, wine glasses are great, or you can get trifle cups. Otherwise, you’ll want an 8-inch trifle bowl – they typically hold 120 ounces. Hope this helps!
TSRI Team member,
Becca
I’m not a huge fan of caramel, however my entire family loved these and even went back for seconds! I’ll have to remember this recipe for special occasions.
I’m going to use a gluten free brownie mix for mine.
I made these in plastic 5 oz cups with lids and froze them. They were amazing and everyone loved them. Making another batch today.